Nap refusal - 8 months

[Gigi89x]

DS is 8 months, naps have been getting harder in recent months. Now they are so difficult with crying and pushing me off, from DS even when i can see he is tired. I aim to get 2 naps out of him per day.

Some days he refuses to nap completely and iv had to take him out for a walk. Which does not help me with getting anything done at home.

In the car or pram he has no issue. All his baby friends his age do not seem to have this issue

Is this common? Is there anything i can try? Im at a loss here. I do all obvious things of a darkened room, shushing, patting, rocking.

That’s tough, hopefully the naps will come back!

Do you put him down awake or asleep? I now have a 2 year old and he’s always been a bit like that. Given the choice he’d tell you he doesn’t need a nap but if put in his cot (regardless of how much kicking and screaming he does en route), he will be asleep about 3 minutes later every time.

He’s managed to work out when he’s at my parent’s house (goes to theirs when I’m at work), that if he convinces them he doesn’t need a nap my mum will give in and come in to the room with him. She’ll lie beside the cot, see if he needs a drink etc. He now NEVER naps at their house anymore and if she’s watching him and we’re home he needs to come back by nap time.

As harsh as leaving them to cry for the grand total of about a minute might seem at first, I think for long term happiness for both of us it’s 100% worth it! If I’d given in the same way my mum does he would never nap and just permanently be raging and overtired 🙈 No actual help other than stay strong and don’t give in 😂

@Itsalongstoryy he refuses to self settle for a nap. He will just roll around his cot squealing.
At bedtime he can self settle and go to sleep himself.

I just don't know why! All my usual techniques have stopped working!

Would he nap in his pram in the house? I could count on one hand the number of cot naps my baby had, but would nap fine in the pram in a darkened room with white noise, just seemed to prefer it.

@RainbowBasket i don't know if he would in the house, its a walk that he likes. But i don't have room with all his other items and playpen to have the pram inside also 😫🤣

Anyone else had this ?

My kid is 2 and has never napped in his cot. All babies are different!

Oh OP I feel your pain. My dd is 5 months and stopped napping at 3 weeks. It's been a long long slog. I have to fight her down for a morning nap and take an hour walk every evening to get her to take an evening nap. It's killing me and in the bad weather this week when I can't go for a walk I have a monster baby on my hands by 7pm so she sleeps badly in the night.

Please tell me it gets easier 🤣

@MyPurpleHeart no way! At 3 weeks?? Thats very early! what do you do?